[ SECRET POST #4375 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4375 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.



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02.
(Madam Secretary)


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03.
[Doctor Who S11E06, "Demons of the Punjab"]


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04.
[Dark on Netflix]


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05.
(Madam Secretary)


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06.


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08.


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09.







Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 10 secrets from Secret Submission Post #626.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I never understand the "calculated" part of this.

It makes you feel sad and you don't want to feel sad. That's totally legit, that's a great reason not to watch it. But trying to make you feel emotions is one of the fundamental purposes of media. Of course it's calculated.

[(Anonymous)]

The secret says "I don't care that this is one of the goals of media", probably because OP wanted to head off comments like this one.

[(Anonymous)]

that doesn't make it un-weird for them to have used the word "calculated", if anything it makes it weirder

[(Anonymous)]

The word accurately describes what media is designed to do. You said "Of course it's calculated" so you clearly agree this is an accurate use of the word that applies to this situation. But you still think it's weird for OP to use the term. Okaaaaaaay...

[(Anonymous)]

Nayrt

But would feeling pain and loss be okay if it hadn't been calculated? Would OP want to keep watching a show that unintentionally made them feel sad a lot? If not, then what difference does it make if it's calculated? If yes, then why?

[(Anonymous)]

Personally if I can clearly see the framework and can predict every beat of the story then all the emotional impact is lost. It feels like the writers are pointing and saying 'Look, over here. This is important. Don't you feel sad?' rather than letting me decide how I want to feel and when.

[(Anonymous)]

I think I get where the OP is coming from. Sometimes I feel like a story lacks subtlety and is too transparent in its efforts to push my emotional buttons. Usually, when I get that feeling, I just get annoyed, like, "Fuck off with the GIANT HAMMER OF SAD you keep hitting me with, and learn some nuance and narrative deftness, jeez."

Like, for me there is a difference between being emotionally guided and being emotionally manipulated. When I feel I'm being emotionally manipulated that bugs me. But obviously not everyone feels this distinction, and I'm not saying everyone should.

[(Anonymous)]

Like, for me there is a difference between being emotionally guided and being emotionally manipulated. When I feel I'm being emotionally manipulated that bugs me. But obviously not everyone feels this distinction, and I'm not saying everyone should.

This exactly. If I can feel the story or the writers are trying to force me in a certain direction then part of me completely switches off and I'm left feeling annoyed/frustrated by the manipulation. Show me a story but don't tell me what to feel or when.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, exactly! I haven't seen this episode so I have no idea how it goes. But it annoys me so much when people try to dismiss a critique that a piece of media is heavy handed with the emotional manipulation by saying "Ohhhh but that's what all media does! Manipulate your emotions!"

Yeah, and some pieces of media are shit at it for many reasons. There's emotion that feels organic and natural because it evolves from excellent writing and acting backed by an impeccably chosen soundtrack and then there's the GIANT HAMMER OF SAD. (I love that phrase, BTW!)

But people like to pretend as though it's all the same thing. I honestly can't tell if they're trolling, or just really bad at critical thinking and picking up on nuances themselves.

[(Anonymous)]

It sounds then like the issue is the quality of writing, acting, and production and not whether or not there is an intention to make you feel things. It's still emotional manipulation even if it's done well and doesn't seem cliched or predictable. Blame bad writing/acting and not the intentionality.